Sprint Smartphones?

[Fr34k]

My sprint contract isn't up for another 6 months or so, and I'm getting tired of this lolLG Rumor. If given the chance I would probably switch to Verizon and get a Droid but I don't feel like paying $200 per phone for 6 months. Instead I was thinking of just getting a smartphone.

My obvious choice is the HTC Hero. The only thing I wanted to know is if there are any better phones coming out Q1 2010 for Sprint? I'm not sure when the new Snapdragon phones are going to be out for sure, and I'd hate to buy a Hero and then be tempted by a new phone in a few months.

So BG Tech, should I buy a Hero or wait for the 2010 phones to come out? If I should wait, if anybody could link me to phones that are supposed to trump the Hero it would be much appreciated.

[Tekki]

I think there are already a lot of threads on this same topic. As a sprint power user with an HTC TP and a TP2 on the way I can tell you the best choices are the HTC TP2, Palm Pre and HTC Hero.

Its a matter of preference then. If your the buisness type, always traveling and always want to be in perpetual communication and mostly just that, I'd pick the HTC TP2 and upload a custom OS Rom.

The Pre and Hero is generally the best value for most everyone. My closest friend ones a Pre and loves it. Very customizable and low maintenance. I don't have much experience with the Hero. My hookups with Sprint have them and love them as much as iphone users like their phones. The ball is rolling on the apps and it looks like a good contender for the iphone.

Cosmetics also play a part in my phone choice. The TP2 keyboard is slide out, and huge. The redesigned phone sped up the stock hardware, the screen is considerably larger alone with the phone.. which is a good thing. Its overall just like the TP with the negatives ironed out.

I hate the Pre design. I find the phone too small, feels like cheap plastic and the slideout keyboard is tiny.

The hero is a pretty slick design, and strictly a touch phone. No keyboard is a turnoff for me. But its a very good looking, easy to use phone.

[Fr34k]

Yea I noticed a lot of the same downfalls you mentioned when I was at the sprint store checking out the phones in person.

I really didn't like the palm pre because of it's overall cosmetic look and the feel of it. It didn't feel like a solid phone and the size of the screen looked kind of small compared to the phone itself.

Like you mentioned, the ONLY thing that bugged me about the Hero was the lack of a physical keyboard. I guess I could live with it but I never liked being stuck to a virtual keyboard when I used friends iphones.

As for the TP2, I never really took a look at it but I guess I'll have to check it out. The only thing about it is I've heard a lot of negative things about WM and so many good things about the Android platform. I'm not sure if the whole 1.5 -> 2.0 or 2.1 update is still in the works or has been completed, but that would be fun to play with.

[Senoska]

Obligatory blackberry plug?

[Fr34k]

Nah Blackberry just isn't for me. I've played with quite a few including the Curve when it was still new. The buttons are too small, the phones sit awkwardly in my hand, and the phone just looks off with the qwerty keyboard up front. I guess the Storm 2 doesn't really fit into that general lumping, but you get the idea.

I'm a college student not a businessman, I don't really need/want a blackberry =/.

Edit: The main thing I'm still wondering is if I'm completely missing a phone that's going to be coming out in the next few months that's going to crush the Hero.

[jmc]

I went back to sprint 6 months ago, from a iphone and decided to get the palm pre.

The palm OS is awesome, multitasking and having multiple apps opened was the best part of the OS. Sadly the app store is severely lacking content..... and like someone else said the hardware is shit.

My pre broke 5 times, in 6 months....

1st) Slider kept making a odd clicking sound when phone was up or down

2nd) Slider broke, and couldn't access keyboard.

3rd) Headphone jack broke

4th) Slider broke, just like 2nd phone

5th) 9-10 dead pixels when I recieved the phone.


Granted, the only new phone was the first one... and the rest were just sprint refurbs. However, after the 5th one broke I refused a pre replacement and sprint gave me a HTC Hero. Its one of the best phones I have owned so far.... android is a very good OS, and there are a ton of apps in the app store.



You should also look into the Samsung Moment... its pretty much like the Hero, but has a physical keyboard but lacks multitouch.


(Also, verizon droid runs Android 2.0..... and HTC Hero/Samsung Moment are scheduled to get Android 2.1 sometime early 2010)


*edit*

HTC is due to release a new phone on either AT&T or T-mobile called the nexusone (Google Phone)......... but as for anything else coming to sprint soon, gonna have to wait for the next large electronics convention which is in early jan. I believe.

*edit 2*

This is the only thing I could find about phones that could crush the hero.......... pretty much hero2 gonna be announced soon.

http://www.androidcentral.com/hero-s...gress-htc-says

[Nuker]

There's nothing smart about sprint. Shitty service, shitty support, shitty deals.

[Fr34k]

Honestly I've never had any problems with AT&T, Nextel, or Sprint. Infact about a month ago I dropped my Rumor and completely cracked the screen. Took it into the Sprint store on the sunday it happened and they told me since it was physical damage I had to call it in the next day. Called on monday, and the phone came from I believe Ohio? to Hawaii and it was at my doorstep thursday morning. No run arounds, they just charged me the $50 insurance deductible.

And on top of that I wasn't asking about the carrier, I was asking about the phones offered by the carrier. Learn to read before you post stupid shit.

[Fr34k]

Hmm the Moment looks pretty good. Physical keyboard, faster processor. I'll have to look at them both in person to see which I like better. I dunno if I want to wait for the Hero 2 only because I'm not sure if I'm staying with Sprint after the contract is up and I don't want to wait atleast 3 months for a phone.

[Tekki]

^jmc

what he said about the pre. ya i completely forgot haha. I stop by my sprint store very often, since I know the guys there, and I have seen a lot of guys in with some sort of cosmetic breakage on their phone. Its pretty embarrassing to see such an anticipated phone fail over simple exterior malfunctions.